Certification of Trade Union as Bargaining Agent for Resource Optimization Coordinators
📌 In brief
The Canada Industrial Relations Board certified the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers as the bargaining agent for a group of Resource Optimization Coordinators at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
⚖️ Legal holding
A trade union may be certified as the bargaining agent for a unit of employees if a majority of the employees in the unit wish to be represented by the union.
📖 Technical summary
The Board dismissed the application for review and certified the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers as the bargaining agent for a specific unit of employees.
📜 Headnote Official document
The Board dismissed an application for review and certified a trade union as the bargaining agent for a unit of employees who wished to be represented by the union.
📚 Full judgment Official document
Order No.: 12169-U IN THE MATTER OF THE Canada Labour Code - and - International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, applicant, - and - [COMPANY]., Montréal, Quebec, employer, - and - [NAME], intervenor. WHEREAS the [NAME] ( the Board) has received an application for certification pursuant to section 24(1) of the Canada Labour Code (the Code ) from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (the applicant) seeking certification as bargaining agent for a unit of employees of [COMPANY]. (the employer) comprising: all employees of [COMPANY]. employed as Resource Optimization Coordinators at Toronto Pearson International Airport, save and except managers and employees above the rank of manager, and those excluded by the Code . AND WHEREAS the employer and the [NAME] ([NAME] or the intervenor) have both opposed the certification application, submitting that the Resource Optimization Coordinators are already covered by the certification order no. 11908-U held by the intervenor for the following bargaining unit: all employees of [COMPANY]. providing preboard security screening services under the CATSA contract at the Pearson International Airport and Toronto City Centre Airport, excluding dispatchers, terminal supervisors and those above the rank of terminal supervisors. AND [NAME] filed an application for review, pursuant to section 18 of the Code , seeking an order clarifying the scope of the certification order no. 11908-U to include the position of Resource Optimization Coordinator (Board file no. 039333-C); AND WHEREAS , following investigation of the application and consideration of the submissions of the parties concerned in both file nos. 039243-C and 039333-C, the Board has decided to dismiss [NAME]’s application for review in file no. 039333-C, with reasons to follow, and to issue the present certification order; AND WHEREAS the Board has found the applicant to be a trade union within the meaning of the Code , has determined the unit described hereunder to be appropriate for collective bargaining and is satisfied that a majority of the employees of the employer in the unit wish to have the applicant trade union represent them as their bargaining agent. NOW, THEREFORE , it is ordered by the [NAME] that the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers be, and it is hereby certified to be, the bargaining agent for a unit comprising: all employees of [COMPANY]., employed as Resource Optimization Coordinators at the Toronto Pearson International Airport, excluding managers and employees above the rank of manager, and those excluded by the Code . ISSUED at Ottawa, this 25th day of March, 2026, by the [NAME]. [NAME]: File No. 039243-C
⚖️ What tends to weigh in cases like this
✅ Tends to be accepted
- The Resource Optimization Coordinators wished to be represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
- The Board found the unit of Resource Optimization Coordinators to be appropriate for collective bargaining.
- A majority of the Resource Optimization Coordinators expressed a desire to be represented by the union.
❌ Tends to be rejected
- The employer argued that the Resource Optimization Coordinators were already covered by another certification order.
- The intervenor sought to clarify the scope of an existing certification order to include the position of Resource Optimization Coordinator.
Patterns observed in similar cases in this collection — every case is unique.
❓ Frequently asked questions
What did this decision decide?
The Board certified the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers as the bargaining agent for a unit of Resource Optimization Coordinators.
What was the dispute about?
The dispute was about whether the Resource Optimization Coordinators should be included in an existing bargaining unit or certified as a separate unit.
How did the court decide, and why?
The court decided to certify the trade union as the bargaining agent for the Resource Optimization Coordinators because a majority of these employees wished to be represented by the union.
Which laws or rules were applied?
No specific laws or rules were mentioned in the judgment.
What was the argument that mattered most?
The argument that mattered most was that a majority of the Resource Optimization Coordinators wished to be represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
Was the decision for or against the person who brought the case?
The decision was for the person who brought the case, as the trade union was certified as the bargaining agent.
What does this mean for someone in a similar situation?
For someone in a similar situation, if a majority of employees in a specific unit wish to be represented by a trade union, the union can be certified as the bargaining agent.
What evidence or documents mattered?
The judgment does not specify the evidence or documents that were considered.